Diabetes can be characterized by hyperglycemia and relative insulin deficiency. There are two main types of diabetes, Type I diabetes (insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus) and Type II diabetes (non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus). In some instances, diabetes is also characterized by insulin resistance.
Insulin secretion functions to control the level of blood glucose to keep the glucose levels at an optimum level. Healthcare may involve both establishing a therapeutic program and monitoring the progress of the afflicted person. Monitoring blood glucose levels is an important process that is used to help diabetics maintain blood glucose levels as near as normal as possible throughout the day. Monitoring can also allow successful treatment of a diabetic by altering therapy as necessary. Monitoring may allow the diabetic to monitor more closely his or her condition and, in addition, can provide information of value to the healthcare provider in determining both progress of the patient and detecting any need to change the patient's therapy program.
There are two main types of blood glucose monitoring systems used by patients: single point (or non-continuous) systems and continuous systems. Non-continuous systems consist of meters and tests strips and require blood samples to be drawn from fingertips or alternate sites, such as forearms and legs. An example of a noncontinuous system may require a diabetic to apply a blood sample to reagent-impregnated region of a test strip, wipe the blood sample from the test strip after a predetermined period of time, and determine blood glucose level by comparing the color of the reagent-impregnated regions of the test strip with a color chart supplied by the test strip manufacturer. Alternatively, many patients use continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) to monitor their glucose level on an ongoing basis. In order to perform CGM, a glucose sensor may be placed under the skin which is capable of measuring the glucose level of the person in the interstitial fluid. The glucose sensor may periodically measure the glucose level of the person at a known time interval, such as every minute, and transmit the results of the glucose measurement result to an electronic monitor.
Embodiments described herein provide safer, more efficient methods for individuals requiring multiple daily injections who have difficulty counting carbohydrates; the embodiments also are beneficial for patients using CGM who want help handling meals. Embodiments detail calculations using an algorithm that improve the accuracy of the bolus calculator by accounting for uncertainty.